If history is written by the victors, then the history of pit bulls depends on which side of the breed you’re on.

Does the dog have a history of combat? Yes.

Does it have a history of being a popular family dog? Also yes.

Can it be both types of animal at once? Apparently, yes and yes.

The answers are embedded in centuries of interaction with mankind.

According to the American Pit Bull Registry, the roots of today’s breeds may go back to the ancient Romans. At the time of Minos in Crete, the sport of bull baiting was popular and dogs were used.The sport was developed as part of the worship honoring the warrior god Mithras.

As the Roman tribes moved around they took their wild, ferocious dogs with them, according to the Registry. By the 1700’s there were two primary bull-fighting dogs that developed, both referred to as bulldogs.Read more…

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